Retrograde Works Custom Designer Toys, Dolls, Kawaii Clothing, Accessories, Illustrations and More!

Have you heard about Tiny Frock Shop? (Fabulous Vintage Doll Clothes!)

2014-05-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest, I have no idea how I even first came across TinyFrockShop.com. I've spent a lot of time tooling around the internet searching for various types of vintage dolls, it's hard to keep track!

The Tiny Frock Shop is a website filled with modern, vintage and oldstock 1/6th fashion doll clothing. Occasionally, they also have gently used and NIB dolls for sale as well.

The shop is owned by Pamela Thompson, a fashion designer who worked alongside the likes of Betsey Johnson and Anna Sui. Once she moved from New York City to Chicago, she founded Tiny Frock Shop as a fashion outlet for her creativity.

Once I started digging into the site, I knew an order wasn't far behind. Not only is the selection incredible, the prices are amazing and they update with new items frequently. Everything on the site very well organized into separate categories for each type of clothing, which is just the icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned. I love sites that make it easy to find what you're looking for!

My package arrived a few days ago, but I was only able to pick it up this afternoon. It shipped very quickly, only a couple of days after ordering.

Vintage doll clothing and accessories from Tiny Frock Shop.

Hah, do you see those ridiculously eighties dresses? I almost died when I found them on the site. They're two of my favorite dresses I remember having for my own Barbies when I was a kid. I absolutely could NOT resist! In all, I purchased a striped blouse, the two eighties dresses, a jacket, a tiny pink canvas backpack, a pleated circle skirt, a Rockers tee, some high waisted shorts and a pair of pink sneakers. With shipping included, everything came to around $30. The little butterfly dress was a freebie thrown in :D.

The quality of the clothing is fantastic. You'd never know these items were vintage if it weren't for their telltale styles. I dressed up my Mami and Madoka Pure Neemo girls in the super bright dresses. They look like a couple of Spank! girls!

Pure Neemo Tomoe Mami and Kaname Madoka


It's so cute, I can't even stand it!

Meanwhile, Suzette looks perfect in my new LITD Midge's alternate dress and the high waisted circle skirt.

Uneeda Miss Suzette

According to a post I read on Tumblr, I guess Suzette is out to get herself a man. From the size of that bow, she really means business.

I'm already planning another order from TinyFrockShop! I can't recommend them highly enough!

Fallindoll Rabi complete!

2014-04-16T14:03:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally finished customizing my Fallindoll Rabi, Eleanor. You can read more about her initial customization process over here. I've since applied lashes, switched up her eyes, and created an outfit for her. This is the first time in a while that I've finished sewing a dress I like. I modified a Blythe dress pattern I had laying about to fit her and it's not perfect, but I'm so happy with actually finishing it, the flaws don't bother me. Now all I need to do is finish her counterpart, Fallindoll Force *sigh*. Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoy her!

Workspace Wednesday: Sculpting the Monster High Custom Clicker Zombie from The Last of Us

2014-03-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of videogames. I'm actually taking a brief pause from hoarding gold in Diablo III to post this >_>. The Last of Us from Naughty Dog absolutely captured my heart. Then it stomped on it, set it on fire, and then tossed it in a pile of excrement. I don't think I've ever seen a game that was quite so completely, unbearably awful to its characters. Tragedies aside, it's one of the greatest (and most terrifying) stories ever told.

I've been talking about creating a custom Clicker and Ellie custom Monster High set for months and I finally got the kick in the pants to proceed thanks to watching Feral Works' breathtaking progress on her Clicker mask.

Sculpting to the sounds of the Yogscast.

I started off by lopping the face off (and a few fingers) of a Dragon Girl Create a Monster. Instead of just sculpting the cordyceps on top of the head, I really wanted it to look like it was exploding from inside the cranial cavity. I laid down a base layer of air drying foam clay for added texture. Once dry, it's actually a bit squishy and flexible to the touch. A few days of drying later, I began to add more details using Super Sculpey. The foam clay is nice, but it's nearly impossible to create little details.

Adding texture and stability to the Clicker using Super Sculpey.

I also wanted to be able to paint these smaller details more efficiently, since the foam clay tends to soak up paint. It has the added benefit of creating more stability for the foam clay as well.

As with most of my Sculpey use, the layers are kept thin enough to be hand cured with a heat gun. Tufts of hair will be added between the cordyceps fungus. I'm playing around with a few different ideas for adding 'decay' to the body, but I haven't decided on which looks best yet.

There's still a lot more progress to go, including creating an outfit, but I'm really liking how the custom looks right now :). Thanks for reading!

Monster High Commissions: Honey Swamp and Jane Boolittle for Machelle

2014-03-22T11:12:00.004-07:00

These two girls were created for Machelle :). I can't even express how much I love painting Honey. I really need to get my hands on another of my own so I can really get at that amazing body detailing.

She's one of the most amazing dolls I've ever seen from a playline release. Pink and green is one of my favorite color combinations, so getting a chance to use these colors on her was so fun.

Jane is quickly becoming another favorite of mine. I really love her dark lavender skin tone. She has very nicely sculpted lips and eyewells.

I'm very glad I have my own still left to work on!

Jane Boolittle and Honey Swamp Custom Monster High Repaints

Thanks so much for reading :). I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!

Belated Workspace Wednesday! Eleanor's Faceup (Fallindoll Rabi)

2014-03-13T09:24:00.001-07:00


Eleanor, a Fallindoll 27cm Rabi

So, this is what I worked on most of yesterday :D. I knew I wanted to try something a little over the top with both Rabi (newly named Eleanor) and Force, but I waffled a bit over which direction to take.

Eleanor here isn't completely finished, she'll be getting some custom made eyes, a new outfit, and still needs lashes, but the majority of the work is complete :). I airbrushed her body in a flecked agouti coloration with little black spots and gradient hands, legs, and ears.

Die cut vinyl detail, drawn in Adobe Illustrator.

I designed the vinyl appliques using Illustrator and exported them to my die cutting machine's program. Drawing these designs would have taken forever, wreaked havoc on my poor hands, and still wouldn't have been the effect I wanted. I measured the different areas of her face to get the spacing and layout correct.

Her hands and feet have already chipped a bit of the paint with movement, which is to be expected. I'm thinking about going back over them with my black Plasti-dip spray since it worked so well the last time I used it on a doll.

I'm super happy with how she turned out :). Force (yet to be named) will be completed in the same fashion with different designs (more lace like, in cream or white), which I'm still working on. I hope you guys enjoyed! Thanks for reading :D.

Fallindoll Rabi and Force Ball Jointed Doll Review

2014-03-07T07:11:00.000-08:00

Emory over at Junkyspot.com recently got Fallindoll's new Rabi and Force (27cm) in stock and I nearly broke my neck ordering these two. I missed out on Hujoo's fennec fox, Penny, a long time ago and I wasn't about to let another slip through my fingers! I couldn't resist Rabi, either, I seem to be amassing a collection of bunny themed dolls.

Adorable little boxes!

Honestly, I don't keep up with the BJD community as much as I used to. I only get snippets and photos from those few I follow on Tumblr who also collect and customize. I'd never even heard of Fallindoll until I got the newsletter from Junkyspot saying they'd come in stock. If you get a second, definitely check out their site. They have quite a few ridiculously cute offerings. I've also got my eye on their vinyl Panda, which is akin to dolls like Wonder Frog and Tokissi.

Anyway! On to the review!

I ordered Rabi in Light Grey. The information for Rabi is conflicting on the page, the first notice says they take 16mm eyes, which is likely just a typo. They actually take something more like 12 or 10mm depending on the dome. High domed eyes would look awkward in Rabi, her eye wells are not very deep or rounded. I have plenty of other girls who can use the pink eyes I ordered so I just gave her a pair of brown glass eyes I had on hand.

Holy crap, that's cute.

I -instantly- fell in love. I mean, jeez, look at that face *_*. Feel free to use either of these headshot photos for your own mock faceups, if you'd like! I haven't decided exactly how I'll paint her yet, but it'll have to wait until we get over the flu epidemic going on in our house right now T_T.

Force is equally adorable. I love how mischievous she looks! The 16mm eyes fit Force perfectly and I'm glad, I really wanted a golden color for her :3.

Ready for all kinds of shenanigans.

So yeah, they're friggin' adorable, but what about their function? Both of these dolls are constructed from super durable ABS plastic. I prefer it in my BJD's because I'm not exactly the most graceful creature on the planet. The one thing you might be astounded to know is that these cuties pose like pros. I've owned a ridiculous amount of BJD's over the years from pretty much every brand you can think of and I've never, ever seen dolls pose like these two before.

The roombox their standing on isn't even remotely level. It's propped up on my quilting arm for my sewing machine lopsidedly. It took about five seconds to get the one legged poses level and sturdy. There are notches on the inside of their ball joints which 'click' into place for different poses. You pose them and they... just -stay- that way. It's crazy and I wasn't expecting it at all.

I mean, holy smokes, that's ridiculous. Their legs are able to fold up flat against their thighs or out to the side suwarikko style. Their torso can be moved forward, backward, side to side, and it just holds in place like it doesn't even care. Their joints don't jerk or slip out of place and that just boggles my mind. I have several other ABS dolls so I was expecting them to perform in a similar fashion, but no, these are hands down the sturdiest BJD's I've ever owned.

My complaints are few and won't matter after I'm finished customizing them. The headcap was a complete pain to remove. I had to insert a butterknife between the gap and gently wiggle it out. I don't expect to be removing it very much once I finish painting them, but it's something to be aware of if you like to reposition your eyes more than I do. It's also virtually impossible to position the eyes inside the head with wax or tack while the strings are around the pegs which connect the head to the body. If you have a full stem eye that extends too far, you also might run into issues with the strings knocking your eyes out of place, so stick to half round or acrylic stems that can be popped off.

I'm incredibly happy with these guys, they're so completely adorable. I'm really looking forward to finishing them and taking photos, especially now that I know they pose so incredibly well. Thanks for reading!

Custom Fashion Doll Repaint Commission: Lucy Liu for Seanan

2014-02-13T12:45:00.001-08:00

I don't get to do realistic dolls very often, but I do enjoy them. I'm so happy with how this doll turned out. I'm always terrified of flubbing repaints like this. Lucy Liu is one of my favorite actresses, and I'd hate for a repaint based on her likeness to turn out as more of an insult, lol. She's an Lucy Liu (Alex) doll from Charlie's Angels that Seanan commissioned. I believe the inspiration for this repaint was Lucy's character, Dr. Joan Watson, from Elementary. Seanan transferred the original head to a much more articulated Fashion Royalty body.

A photo of the original doll, from CelebrityDollMuseum.com and my completed Lucy Liu repaint.

I tried my best to capture her features, she really is such a beautiful woman. She has such cute little freckles <3.

I had a lot of fun working on her, it's always nice to be able to paint unique dolls :). Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Workspace Wednesday: Ambitious Works and Blank References for Monster High Honey Swamp, Jane Boolittle, and Gigi Grant

2014-02-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

I... might have gotten a little ambitious about my plans today. These are all girls that have been waiting in the wings (you know, minus the poor Draculaura and Insect Girl that have had base colors for like... a month...) to be repainted. I can lay down base coloration much more easily when I have everyone laid out at once. Some girls use the same color blends (or colors I only need to change a bit), too, so it's easier on my airbrush. That Lucy Liu is first on the chopping block, though. She's a commission for dear Seanan :). I'm definitely excited about painting her! I love getting to paint dolls I've never worked on before. I believe she's a Charlie's Angels Lucy Liu from the movie release back in 2000 (judging from the stamp on her head).

Pretty girls all in a row, waiting for new faces.

THE WRAPPENING

I've also started coming up with color palettes for the girls I'm working on, as opposed to just... flying by the seat of my pants. I have a pretty good understanding of color theory, but I think I'll like having a preplanned color chart. Mainly so I don't have to dig through bottles of paint, to work more efficiently.

I am never without coffee.

While I was snapping WW photos, I decided to do a few blank shots of the newer dolls. I'm pretty sure you can find a blank face photo of Ghoulia everywhere, so I didn't photograph her.

Blank Monster High Gigi Grant Reference

Blank Monster High Jane Boolittle Reference

Blank Monster High Honey Swamp Reference

Feel free to use these to plan your own faceups or share them (just please don't remove the watermark). Thanks for reading!

Workspace Wednesday: Adventures in (Mathless) Resin!

2014-02-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

I wish I could claim the 'mathless' resin description for my own, but I snagged it from a discussion I had with a follower on Tumblr :). You see... I despise calculations. I'm a trial and error kind of girl, regardless of the awkward situations I might find myself in as a result.

I've wanted to try my hand at making resin jewelry and accessories for quite some time. I just couldn't get past the idea of measuring, dividing, adding, subtracting, and possibly wasting an entire batch of resin because I got it wrong. A few months back, I stumbled across a brand of UV curing resin from Lisa Pavelka. I ordered it to do some repairs on the default eyes my Kinoko Juice Kiki came with, but I thought it was such an amazing idea. Curing resin in minutes using a UV lamp. Of course, this is almost the same thing that you would have applied to your nails in a salon with a gel manicure. Though, that particular type produces a sticky film that has to be removed with alcohol.

Sadly, both of these options would be incredibly expensive when using in large quantities. One measly ounce of Lisa Pavelka Magic Glos will set you back about $10.99 on a good day. UV gel intended for nails varies widely in price, with the cheapest brands being around $2.99+ for a tiny, half ounce pot that goes nowhere fast.

I knew that this couldn't be the only available quantity of UV curing resin. I mean, it just couldn't be. So, I buckled down and scoured the internet for a solution. Finally, I came across Solarez polyester clear casting resin.

Solarez Polyester Clear Casting Resin, Quart Jar

This particular resin is almost identical to Castin' Craft polyester resin with one key difference: It cures in sunlight in three minutes straight from the jar (or you can still use the catalyst to cure the old fashioned way). I could hardly contain my excitement. This is a huge quart (32oz) jug o' resin for $23 that I could allegedly pour straight from the bottle with no mess, no waste, and very little curing time. The same size jug of mix and pour resin costs over 30$ on Amazon. More money, more waste, and more time. No, thanks.

The thing is, this stuff wasn't showing up in crafting supplies at all. It's marketed purpose is to seal things like surfboards and paneling. I double checked the MSDS sheet against other popular crafting resins and could find no significant health related differences. As with most resin, the fumes can be pretty stinky and you don't want the uncured product on (or in) yourself. I'm used to working with a respirator and gloves, so this isn't really an issue for me. I have a huge fan and a glass sliding door that I can open fully to properly ventilate while working inside.

Always, always, always make sure to use the appropriate protective equipment when working with hazardous materials! Crafting is fun, but safety is first! A dust mask won't cut it, you need a NIOSH approved respirator. Polyvinyl gloves and goggles are a great idea, too. Pretend you're Heisenberg and craft at your own risk.

So, how does this stuff hold up when using it for crafting purposes? Well, you tell me! These are some of the pieces I've created over the past two days using Solarez.

All of these projects (and more) are available in my Etsy shop: thekawaiimachine.etsy.com.

Each piece was blended with dyes, glitter shapes, micro glitter, or real candy sprinkles and poured into polypropolene molds (treated with mold release beforehand). I cured the pieces using my timed UV lamp (36 watt designed for use with gel nails) and each tray only took about three minutes, though some of the thicker pieces required a bit longer. They produce a moderate amount of heat while curing, so if you try this method, be careful not to burn yourself. Because I'm using the UV curing method, I have to stick with molds that are translucent, which allow the UV rays to penetrate into the resin. Opaque molds will only cure the top layer and leave the bottom in its liquid state. I was able to dye the resin using the polyester dyes I had on hand with no issues, but you have to be careful about complete opacity, so as not to run into the same issues as opaque molds (not curing thoroughly).

I noticed that with Magic Glos, if I even so much as moved the mold wrong, bubbles would form within the resin that absolutely refused to surface. With Solarez, if I let the mold sit for a minute or so to 'breathe' most of the bubbles rise and pop themselves. I can also gently stir the resin within the mold to cause any bubbles caught under the decorations to rise up without creating new ones. The majority of bubbles that did stick rose up into the flash that would be sanded off anyway.

So, there you go. Easy to use, minimal waste, and no more hazardous to work with than most other crafting resin. I'm extremely happy with my results and frankly, I can't wait until the ludicrous amount of molds I ordered arrive today :).

Artist Shops You NEED to See: IndolentJellyfish Miniature Sea Creatures from Etsy

2014-02-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

All of the time I spend over on Etsy listing, editing, and managing orders has developed a side effect: Being bombarded with all of the awesome things artists create. Sometimes, I just can't help myself and have to make a purchase. From now on, when I make particularly epic finds, I'll be posting about them here in a feature. This time around, it's the incredibly detailed, miniature polymer clay creations of IndolentJellyfish on Etsy. They're an artisan from Canada who creates the most magical little sea creatures out of polymer clay with painted details.

I was absolutely elated to check my mailbox yesterday and find her package! When I opened it up, it contained three of the tiniest jewelry boxes I've ever seen.

Tiny, hand drawn jellyfish and washi tape accentuate the cute kraft boxes.

I am completely obsessed with sea creatures, ever since I was a kid water and the critters in it have fascinated me. I initially came across IndolentJellyfish's work through a post on Tumblr, where they were hosting a giveaway. Once I visited the shop, I knew I couldn't leave empty handed. The pictures can't even begin to hold a candle to the actual pieces in your hands.

Dumbo Octopus Pendant

This tiny Dumbo Octopus is absolutely magical. Magical, I tell you. It's available in their shop for $14.00 USD on a 16" silver plated chain. For a few bucks more, you can upgrade to a longer chain and sterling silver on all of their necklaces. You can find out more about Grimpoteuthis here.

Blue Dragon Sea Slug Pendant

I absolutely could not say no to this. I came across Glaucus atlanticus, the Blue Dragon Sea Slug, via a post on Reddit a year or two ago and have always found them to be the most beautiful little creatures. The necklace is available in her shop for $36. Here's the wiki page about these little cuties, and here's the real deal in motion:

Last, but certainly not least, let me begin with a bit of back story. My boyfriend and I are huge fans of a guy on Youtube called zefrank1. He posts narrated videos detailing 'true facts' about various types of animals (among other things). One of these videos is called "True Facts About the Mantis Shrimp."

If you watched that, you know why I had to buy this:

"A mantis shrimp is a living fossil of the prehistoric clown that all modern clowns evolved from."

Plus, they can flick the crap out of things using their claws with the force and speed of a bullet. They're pretty badass, to say the very least. This pendant is available for $39 here. If you want to learn more real facts about this angry little dude, check out this wiki.

IndolentJellyfish has many more creatures available in their shop including octopus, jellyfish, and squid to name a few. Their shop (and work) is absolutely stunning and you will not be disappointed in your purchase.

Toy Fiend Friday! Monster High Jane Boolittle Overview

2014-01-31T18:58:00.001-08:00


Jane Boolittle and Needles

This week I'm taking a look at one of the newest Monster High releases, Jane Boolittle. As a fan of all things dark, creepy, and a little spooky, I was really excited about a voodoo themed doll. The fact that she comes with her own little voodoo doll sloth is just icing on the cake.

Her outfit is really cool, without being too flashy. I really love the animal print, skulls, and bones.

The one thing that annoys me, though, is that her feathered epaulettes keep falling off. They're basically propped up and don't really grab on to anything. Her color scheme incorporates all of my favorite colors. I really love the blend of teal, pink, purple and red. Her skintone is also very pretty, and will be fun to repaint. It's a soft lavender with blue undertones.

Jumping right on the sloth bandwagon!

Her hair is also very nice, though I'm sure that ponytail isn't staying :). It's made of soft fiber as opposed to the rough nylon most of the Monster High girls are rooted with. It's very easy to style and combs out well. I haven't decided how I'd like to repaint her yet, but I definitely want to stick with her jungle theme. What do you guys think about Jane? Have you picked her up yet? Still looking? Passing?

Thanks for reading!

Toy Fiend Friday: Kotobukiya CuPoche Tomoe Mami from Madoka Magica

2014-01-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

By now, you should know that I have an insatiable obsession for all things Tomoe Mami. What you might not know is that I'm also a diehard fan of Kotobukiya. I've been collecting figures by them since I was a weensy teenager. When they started releasing their CuPoche line, I was ecstatic! I can't really get behind collecting Nendoroids because of their horrendous posing, but these little figures are amazing and run in the same super deformed, sugar dripping sweetness aesthetics.

Even the CuPoche packaging is super cute :3.

Mami arrives with three faceplates, several sets of differently posed hands, her guns, a magnetic (!!!) stand and a miniature Witch Charlotte, in her first form.

NO SAD FACES FOR MAMI. She's suffered enough!

She also comes with a variety of clear plastic clasps and hooks to display the guns and Charlotte. These can be placed into the pegs surrounding her stand to create different scenes. Her faceplates are very easily removed, but don't fall out or become loose without a bit of pressure to release them.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH MAMI NO

There... that's better. Pardon me while I go cry myself a river into my pillow T_______T.

As I mentioned when I reviewed Madoka last year, I absolutely LOVE the magnetic stand. It's easily concealed under a backdrop. The magnets in her feet are very strong. Perfect for say...

Later, dude!

...Punting a particularly evil little witch into the corner where she belongs >_>.

I ordered CuPoche Mami from my favorite figure store, Hobby Link Japan. She's still available and in stock :). If you haven't had a chance to check these adorable little figures out, you definitely should! If you're not a fan of Madoka Magica, there are also several other characters to choose from.

Thanks for reading!

Workspace Wednesday! Three new Monster High Repaints, Modifying Clawdia Wolf's Toothy Grin

2014-01-22T09:47:00.000-08:00

I usually post an update every Wednesday over on Tumblr, but I've been so busy the past couple of days, I wanted to take a moment to go a bit more in depth with the new doll projects I'm working on.

NO PICTURES D:! We haven't got our faces on, yet!

You might notice that Clawdia here is looking a bit different. That's because I wanted to try removing her teeth with the cut and superglue method which has always been popular with Barbies. I loved Clawdia's character and her doll is absolutely fabulous, but dolls with perpetual open mouth smiles are unsettling to me O_O. Speaking of Elissabat and Draculaura, I posted a comparison video between the two over here on my Youtube channel, confirming that they are two different sculpts.

THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES

NO, NOT EXACTLY, BUT EQUALLY TERRIFYING O_O. This was a moment in the removal process that I found particularly hilarious. I was laughing so hard, I messed up the first time trying to bond the lips back together with glue. Sorry, Clawdia.

This is the video I posted for the method I used, though there are plenty of other tutorials available on the web:

Basically, you're just cutting out the teeth with an exacto blade, evening out the opening, adding a few drops of super glue, and then pinching it shut until the glue cures. Then, you'll end up with how she looks in the first photo above. One thing I need to recommend is that you use a craft blade instead of the straight blade I had to make do with. I've lost my darned Xacto and have NO idea where it disappeared to. It was too late to go out and find a new one, so I grabbed the blade from my scraper. Kids, please don't ever use sharp objects on your own, always get a parent to help you!

I'm very happy with the way she turned out and can't wait to finish her makeup. As I mentioned in the video, I ended up with a bit of discoloration from the glue (turning white as it cured) because of her dark skin. This didn't matter to me, as it was painted over, but if you're planning on keeping her lip color, you might want to think about touching it up afterward :). Thanks a bunch for reading! Clawdia and Elissabat's customs will be available in my Etsy shop a little later this afternoon!

Toy Fiend Friday: Revoltech Hello Kitty

2014-01-17T11:45:00.002-08:00

My love of all things Hello Kitty is rivaled only by my love of coffee. Seriously, come have a look at my apartment sometime. The amount of Hello Kitty related paraphernalia borders on ridiculous, my friends and relatives only feed my addiction. When I read that Revoltech would be releasing a tiny, posable version of Sanrio's princess, I completely lost my sh-... Er, I was super excited >_>.

Revoltech Hello Kitty

I mean, holy cow, just look at it. It's friggin' adorable. I preordered her with the speed of a thousand grabby fists.

The little playset is pretty cute, if a bit lacking in accessories.

The set itself is pretty simple. She comes with an easel, crayon, apple, stand and an extra winking faceplate. The articulation is there, but I don't expect any dynamic posing capabilities here. Of course, given her dimensions, how flexible could Hello Kitty possibly be? The little crayon is magnetic, so that she can hold it in her hand. You could also use other similar scale magnetic accessories.

Hard at work!

I ordered her from Hobby Link Japan (of course), but sadly, she is out of stock and has been discontinued. I'm sure you could find her from a secondhand market, though. Mandarake usually gets a lot of like-new items in stock shortly after their release. I don't know if the Revoltech Hello Kitty had bootlegs produced, but if all else fails, you could try eBay. Just make sure you're buying from a reputable seller (check the feedback, if they're conning people with fakes, you'll see it there).


Winky face!

I plan on carrying her with me in my bag for impromptu photos while I'm out and about. She's tiny and capable of standing without her stand thanks to her huge feet, which is always a good thing in my book. I think die hard fans will enjoy this set, but if you'd like a bit more complexity in your figures, you might wanna pass. Though... lookit that face? How could anyone pass up on that face?! :D

Thanks for reading! Toy Fiend Fridays are back on schedule and I'll be reviewing a new toy each week!

Super sweet accessories and jewelry with clay molds from Padico

2014-01-16T09:13:00.002-08:00

About a week ago, I came across the scratch building section of one of my favorite places, Hobby Link Japan. I primarily use them for new figure and doll releases and, somehow, it never crossed my mind to browse their crafting goodies.

Air drying resin clay is something I've wanted to try creating things with for a while. It's super soft, lightweight and dries with a hard, waterproof finish. The two brands I picked up were Mermaid Puffy and Hearty, though there are other brands available. I opted to get the white clay because each brand is easily custom colored using acrylics, watercolors, or inks. I swirled a bit of paint in with the clay for the ice cream scoops to create a marbled effect and kneaded the color evenly to make solid color macarons.

Faux macarons and scoops of ice cream using Padico molds and Mermaid Puffy clay.

While browsing the clay selection, I also came across Padico molds. There are two types: soft silicone and hard plastic. I prefer the silicone because it's much easier to pop out the molded piece. If you swipe a bit of mold release (or baby oil) onto the hard plastic, the pieces are still very easy to remove.

Padico Silicone and Hard Plastic Clay Molds

They have all kinds of cute molds available for making breads, macarons, ice cream scoops, cakes, and more. They're the perfect size for making jewelry and accessories.

Resin clay Blueberry Ice Cream and Pistachio Macaron, destined to become cute rings!

Padico also makes a decoden whipped creme, but I'm using plain ol' GE white silicone here. I like the moist look and squishy texture once it cures :3.

I've already added a lot of my recently made items to the shop, which you can check out here. These are some of the other items I've made for myself and have yet to list:

Chocolate creme waffle hair pins, key lime tart hair pins, miniature ice cream cone earrings, and heart macaron rings.

I'm having so much fun making these items. If I had half as much enthusiasm about making real food as I do for faux food, I'd be dangerous in the kitchen, haha. Thanks for reading!

Monster High Repaint Highlights of 2013, Taking a look back.

2014-01-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

Two posts in one day!? I know, it's craziness. I was in the middle of migrating my files to our cloud storage and came across all of these photos of repaints from the last year. It didn't seem like so many until I found myself staring at the hundreds of photos in my folder.

I really worked hard on coming up with a definite style this year and though I tend to deviate from the norm from time to time, I'm pretty happy with how far I've come. In those folders, I also found pictures of some of my very first Monster High repaints...

My second Monster High repaint and my most recent. Three years apart.

I remember being pretty happy with this Gloom Beach Clawdeen when I finished. She was the second Monster High repaint I'd ever done (from 2011), and the first doll I'd painted in years since taking a break from the hobby ages ago. I was seriously out of practice, but the job market was absolutely horrible and I was grasping at straws trying to find some way that I could contribute monetarily. So, I began customizing dolls and toys. I enjoyed it and people were buying my customs.

I was so elated that people out there liked my artwork enough to buy it that it fueled me to keep going. It wasn't a fast or easy process, Monster High was quite new back then and the dolls were so hard to find in stores. I've met so many amazing people and the community has just been fantastic overall. Of course there are trolls sometimes, but the good infinitely outweighs the bad.

I'm still far from finished and nowhere even remotely close to perfect, but I'm content? I think that's the best way to put it. My techniques have changed, my materials changed, even the way I approach a repaint has changed. Three years can really make a difference. Thank you guys for sticking with me through the awkwardness :). I hope this year's repaints will be even better than the last!

Happy Birthday, Majokko Shop! TINY PANTIES GIVEAWAY!

2014-01-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

The Pure Neemo girls' blog over at The Majokko Shop is turning two! To celebrate two years of magical cuteness, they're giving away some very special underpants :3.

Tiny pantsu!

These ridiculously cute doll panties are only available at special gashapon machines located within the Azone shop in Japan. You can check out the details for the giveaway over on the Majokko Shop's blog. Good luck with your entries and a special thanks to Heather!

New girl! Pure Neemo Mami from Puella Magi Madoka Magica

2014-01-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

I've waited patiently (against my will) for almost two full years trying desperately to find an Azone Pure Neemo Mami from Puella Magi Madoka Magica. I kicked and kicked and kicked myself after I missed out on her during the Hobby Link Japan sale and I couldn't bring myself to pay scalpers prices.

Lo and behold, a week or so ago, my dear friend Heather of The Traveling Twig and The Majokko Shop sent me a link to an auction for Mami! She was very reasonably priced, but had no buy it now option so I bid and crossed my fingers that I was the only one desperately seeking this girl.

Azone Pure Neemo Tomoe Mami from Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I haven't even finished watching the show, to be honest, but I fell in love with Mami and Madoka's characters. I've been a fan of magical girls since I was a little girl myself, back in the days when Sailor Moon was my favorite Saturday morning cartoon. Without going into any spoilers, though, the reason I love this show so much is that it takes the idea of a magical girl to an entirely new, incredibly messed up level. You see these sweet girls with cute faces and expect another sugar coated pastel love story. Oh, hell no. Mami's story in particular is very tragic and the brutality of it all is probably why I latched onto her character so fervently O_O. I just want to save all the Mamis T_T.

There are no demonic little rats or witches here, just tea and sweet things and puppies and kittens and fluffiness.

I daresay Madoka looks excited to be reunited with her friend :). I hadn't seen one of the Large size Azone bodies before, either, and I like that they used the body with a more mature bust to match her character. Her torso is quite a bit beefier than my other Azone girls, but luckily she still fits into most of the clothing (except for the ones specifically made for S and XS size bodies).

The Mami and Madoka Army! Cu-Poche Mami is still making her way out of Japan :3.

Hehe, Madoka looks so tiny next to Mami, even though she's kneeling. Madoka is on a S Flection Advance body. The Pure Neemo girls I had before Mami arrived all recently got updated to the new bodies, and I'd still like to order one for Mami. The extra poseability makes such a huge difference, but I still want her to have a Large body :3.

Mami and Mini (Figma) Mami <3.

I'm so happy to finally have this adorable girl in my collection. She was definitely well worth the wait! Thank you all for reading!

Custom Monster High CAM Vampire Repaint, Tess

2014-01-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

Tess is a custom repainted Monster High CAM Vampire girl. She features a custom made dress by DollsAhoy! and Tibetan lamb's wool hair. She's available for purchase over here in my Etsy shop.

I wanted to try a few different stylistic techniques with this girl. I usually draw a much bigger, darker, and solid pupil, but I've recently become a fan of more softly blended eyes. I think it gives them an almost glowy, dreamy look :3.

I also tried a softer look for her lips. I gently blended the lines up and out and added soft, subtle touches of darker pigmentation.

The Vampire mold is usually harder to work with for me. Once you remove the default paint, the sculpted eyes underneath are farther apart than the paint indicates. In the past, my Vampire girl repaints ended up looking angular and harsh, but I wanted a much softer, sweeter look for this repaint. What do you think? Did I manage to make her look sweeter than my other vampire girl repaints?

I'm working through a backlog of base-color painted dolls at the moment so I can get on with the newer goodies I've recently found (Clawdia, Elissabat, Gigi!). A lot of times, to optimize my airbrush usage (since it can be a pain to clean), I line up about five or so blank girls and give them their shading, eyeshadow, and lip colors so that I can come back and add the details when I'm inspired :). I hope you've enjoyed this girl, I really love the way she turned out. Thanks so much for reading!

Custom Repaint: Stella, the Monster High CAM Ice Girl

2014-01-03T09:26:00.005-08:00

The Ice and Blob Girl has been my favorite release in the Create a Monster series to date. I really loved their translucent bodies and vinyl. They are both among my favorite Monster High girls to repaint.

The wigs were even better, imo, with these girls than the previous releases. I was a huge fan of the vinyl wigs, too, and I loved the fiber for this one in particular. When boil straightened, they become so soft and feathery, perfect for texturing the look with a razor cut.

This girl arrived without her default hands, however. She was part of one of the multipacks from Costco, so it's just a packaging fluke. Luckily, I keep a stash of all kinds of different parts and gave her these awesome purple gloved hands as a replacement, since they match the outfit I wanted to use :). The pegs for these hands are smaller than the wrist of the CAM girls, since they were intended for a regular release Clawdeen. I don't know why Mattel wouldn't just make them all the same, but who knows? I adhered them with a bit of flexible E6000 and they still have their up and down motion as well as a bit of rotation when twisted gently.

Stella is available over in my Etsy shop. Thanks for reading!

The Mushroom Girl: Kinoko Juice Kiki

2014-01-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

A very, very long time ago when I was almost brand new to the idea of doll collecting I stumbled across one of the cutest, most stylistically sculpted dolls I'd seen so far. Unfortunately, at the time, there was very little information about the doll, it took me a great deal of searching to even figure out what the name was, much less the maker.

Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that not only were these dolls sold exclusively in Japan, they were also hand made and sold in limited quantities at very high prices. At the time, I gave up on ever finding one for sale in the US, much less being able to afford it on the secondhand market.

That little doll was Kinoko Juice Kiki and I'd wanted one for as long as I can even remember. A few months back, I stumbled across a Japanese auction for a dirty, damaged, and long neglected Kiki. I didn't care and I bid immediately, hoping like hell not to be outbid. To my absolute disbelief I won! Three weeks later, she arrived and I couldn't wait to get to work.

I did not take progress pictures, as there are certain proprietary aspects of the doll that I wouldn't want exposed to anyone looking to copy. Specifically the unique, handmade eyes that a copy would not arrive with.

She arrived with a laundry list of issues that needed to be fixed. Her eyes, which cannot be replaced, let alone even found on a secondhand market, were my biggest issue. The material was cracked in one eye, right through the iris. I have no idea what the artist uses to make them, but I filled it in with UV cured resin to blend the distortion created by the crack. I ended up with a barely visible line and a few air bubbles, but I am very happy with the result!

Her default faceup wasn't salvageable, so I repainted her as close to the original style as I could, with a few subtle changes. Her headcap was also stained pretty badly. When I sanded the stains away, I discovered that she had yellowed pretty badly. So, I took a magic eraser to the rest of her body and she cleaned up surprisingly well. One of the connections on her hand had been worn almost completely away (or it was broken and sanded, I couldn't really tell), so I had to resculpt the piece back up to fit into her wrist with epoxy.

Unfortunately, she didn't arrive with all of her extras. Only one of the optional hands was included, but I don't mind a bit. It's been almost impossible to find clothes and shoes that fit her, but YOSD fits pretty well, though a bit large. The dress she's wearing in these photos was made by DollsAhoy and was intended to fit Blythe, that's how teeny she is. Blythe pants, though, won't fit because she has much bigger hips and legs. I had several pairs of the shoes she's wearing in different sizes (from trying to find something to fit Hujoo). They're a bit long in the toe, since her feet are very round, but overall, it's as close as I think I'm gonna get.

I still haven't finished with her, but the process of working on her has been so fun. Most of my BJD girls have arrived as 'damaged' or 'junk' items. I really love restoring them back to their original glory <3. I still have heads in storage that I've been working with on and off for a while that haven't been photographed, haha.

I'm so, so incredibly glad to have found one of these amazing little dolls. She's definitely a grail of mine, if not THE grail. Thanks for reading!

Attack on Titan GSC Colossus Titan Nendoroid Review and Video Demo

2013-12-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

It should come as no surprise that I'm hopelessly addicted to all things Attack on Titan. I'm not a terribly huge fan of Nendoroids, but I do own a couple. They're very cute, but I like a larger range of poseability in my figures (like Revoltech and Figma). However, I've had the Colossus Titan preordered since it first became available, there was absolutely NO way I was passing on this playset. It's simultaneously one of the cutest and most disturbing figures I own!

Even the packaging was pretty cool, I love the alternate faceplate peeking over the top!

Tons of pieces with smaller Titans, buildings, Survey Corps, and civilians.

The playset comes with everything you need to recreate your own little Shiganshina District, complete with teensy buildings and a removable broken Wall Maria. The playset also features three of the showcased smaller class titans from the earlier episodes of the anime.

There are two different faceplates for the Colossus Titan. The 'realistic' version and a super deformed version. I prefer the super deformed look with the articulated jaws :3.

Unfortunately, as with most Nendoroids, this figure is practically incapable of standing on its own. I got my hopes up after seeing the beefier feet and legs, but the head is still just too hefty for them to support it. Although this figure is heavily articulated, the range of motion is still limited by the body, meaning he can't sit properly =_=. Normally, problems like this would drive me absolutely bonkers, but it's something I knew to be aware of before purchasing. Honestly, this set is just so cool, it makes up for the shortcomings in poseability. If you're a huge fan of the show, I definitely recommend giving this set a look :). You can check out the video demo below to get a better idea of the working parts. Thanks for reading!

(Kawaii Machine) New Fairy Kei and Pastel Goth Inspired Bracelets: I feel the need, the need for beads!

2013-12-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Oh jeez, please don't leave. I'm sorry, I wholeheartedly apologize for that title. It was just... there. I had to.

Oh, wait, look over there! It's sparkly, cute, beady things!

For those of you who are still listening at this point, recently I decided that I wanted to try my hand at making custom beaded jewelry for the Kawaii Machine shop.

In general, I tend to learn as I go. If I hit a snag, I'll search through a tutorial (or six) to figure out the process. I had no idea what I was doing, but I had handfuls of this multicolored sparkly stuff and knew I wanted to do something.

Watercolor Butterfly Beaded Bracelet, $8

Pearl and Roses Beaded Bracelet, $8

I started out by making linked bracelets. Each bead is hand linked with the next using silver plated beading wire. That's a lotta clipping and wire wrapping. Unfortunately, this also caused a pain flare-up throughout my hands and arms, so these types of bracelets will be one or two of a kind at most. I simply won't be able to sit down and make very many of them at a time D:.

The next type I tried turned out to be much easier on my hands, and better for people who'd rather not worry about specific sizing.

Pearl and Neon Stretch Bracelet, $4

Paint Splatter and Pearl Key Charm Bracelet, $5

These bracelets are created by laying out a measured number of beads (usually 7-7.5" worth) in a design and threading a loop of stretch cord through. Much, much easier on my poor hands! I even made a few of the kind with the grosgrain ribbon for myself :3. I did, however, have to teach my uncouth self how to tie a proper bow >_>. Hint: Use a fork! For bigger bows, BAM! Four fingers are basically a fork.

In keeping with the theme of my shop, all of the new pieces are inspired by colors and themes found in both Fairy Kei and Pastel Goth fashions. I'm always on the lookout for new beads and ideas, so keep an eye on the shop for new items!

Tiffany Blue, Monster High Custom Rochelle Goyle Repaint

2013-12-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

I've gone through a lot of 'favorite' colors over the years, but I have to say that 'Tiffany' blue has probably been the longest running obsession. I've managed to incorporate it into almost all of my site graphics and logos, haha. It's such a nice, bright color without being too overwhelming. Rochelle is one of my favorite girls to repaint because of her hair color combination. It's so cute, it's hard not to be inspired by this doll. This particular girl is still available in my Etsy shop.


'Tiffany,' Custom Monster High Dance Class Rochelle Goyle Repaint

The Dance Class version of Rochelle is undoubtedly my favorite. I love her bun hairstyle and the dance outfit she wears is just adorable (especially those shoes!). This particular version was really fun to photograph, I tried out a lot of different ballet inspired poses with her.

I wound the strands framing her face around a few pipe cleaners with a bit of gel to give them a delicate curl, as though they'd fallen loose while practicing. Her bangs were also trimmed and restyled.

If I had one complaint about stock dolls, it's that bangs can turn out atrociously bad sometimes =_=;. That and TINSEL. Tinsel is the bane of my existence. I still have quite a few girls waiting to be worked on, so keep your eyes peeled for new photos!

Dimensional Magic: Monster High Gil Webber Repaint

2013-12-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

I finally had a chance to work on some long planned custom Monster High repaints this week. A while back, I finally found the Target exclusive Dance Class five pack with Gil. Gil is my favorite boy to repaint, I really love his sculpting and skintone. It's just a shame that he's so hard to get my hands on! This time around, I wanted to try out a couple of new techniques.

Custom Dance Class Gillington Webber, ~Sold

If you take a closer look at this photo, you can see that the scales above his eyes are three dimensional! This was achieved by using a special type of gloss varnish that dries with a raised finish. It's called Dimensional Magic, by Mod Podge. The formula applies a bit milky at first, but it dries crystal clear with a slight magnification property which really makes details pop. You do have to be careful about air bubbles forming, however, but they're easily picked out with a dry paintbrush or popped with a toothpick.

I also treated all of his fins with the Dimensional Magic. Untouched, the fins are cloudy and matte, but once the varnish was applied, it really brought out a wonderfully translucent, almost wet quality which I thought was perfect for Gil. I really hope that some day he'll have a more widely available release, but for now I guess I'll just have to stick to getting lucky!